Tag Archives: Golden Boy

It’s been well-documented that Floyd Mayweather Jr. spent two months in Clark County Detention Center (in Nevada) in 2012 for a domestic abuse conviction.

During a conference call this week, Mayweather spoke in humble tones. He thanked everyone in his camp for putting together a terrific promotion for his May 4 welterweight title defense against Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on Showtime pay-per-view). He also thanked his publicist for doing what he said most would not.

“I like the way Kelly Swanson, she wrote me letters every day,” Mayweather said. “Thank you. You’re the best publicist in the world.”

Swanson was conducting the conference call.

“I’m not just saying that,” Mayweather said. “I don’t know about anybody else’s publicist that wrote them every day when they were locked up.”

Swanson, who is based on Washington D.C., is one of the top publicists in the game. She said via text message Friday that she did try to write Mayweather every day because Mayweather has done a lot for her.

“It was the least I could do while he was going through it,” she texted.

Normally, weigh-ins are very boring. Even when there are 6,500 Manny Pacquiao fans at one of his, a weigh-in is a weigh-in and not much happens. But we want to see Friday’s featuring junior welterweight champion Danny Garcia and challenger Zab Judah. The two camps have clashed twice this week at fight-promoted events, and there seems to be genuine bad blood between the sides.

The weigh-in will take place at 10 a.m. from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, site of Saturday’s fight (on Showtime). It can be viewed via satellite, YouTube, Ustream and online at sports.sho.com/live.

Lightweight champion Adrien Broner, a rapidly rising star from Cincinnati, will move up two weight classes to challenge Paulie Malignaggi for his welterweight championship June 22 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (on Showtime), Golden Boy Promotions announced Thursday.

Broner won a junior lightweight title in November 2011, then won a lightweight title this past November. It would not be surprising to soon see him atop respected pound-for-pound polls. He’s that good.

“Paulette better be in some shape,” the trash-talking Broner said. “On June 22, I will be a three-time world champion in three weight classes at just 23 years old.”

Broner is 26-0 with 22 knockouts.

The light-hitting Malignaggi, of Brooklyn, is stoked about being the main event in his hometown.

“This fight was the main motivation for winning my second world championship last year,” said Malignaggi, a former junior welterweight champion. “I wanted to be a huge main event at Barclays Center. This is a blockbuster event and I can’t wait to make a successful title defense in Brooklyn, where my roots are.”

Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin will make the first defense of his middleweight title Saturday when he squares off with Fernando Guerrero on the undercard of the Zab Judah-Danny Garcia junior welterweight championship fight at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (on Showtime).

One might say Quillin is in love with his 160-pound division, which has always been one of the premier weight classes in boxing.

“I’m just very blessed to be part of a division that is always an attractive weight class,” said Quillin, of Grand Rapids, Mich. “The middleweights, you’ve got the speed and then you have the power. It’s like 50/50

“It’s an action-packed weight class. I just want to make sure that when I go out there, I’m adding my own part of history to that.”

Quillin, 29, is 28-0 with 20 knockouts. Guerrero is 25-1 with 19 knockouts.

Reporters often give predictions for an upcoming fight. Fighters like to do that as well and it’s interesting to see what some of them think about the May 4 welterweight title fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on Showtime pay-per-view).

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, who this past Saturday unified the super welterweight division with a decision over Austin Trout, is leaning toward Guerrero.

“Robert Guerrero has a great opportunity to win,” Alvarez said. “He’s hungry for glory and will try everything to get the victory. I am picking Guerrero.”

Danny Garcia on Saturday will defend his two junior welterweight belts when he takes on Zab Judah at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. He was adamant in his forecast.

“Floyd Mayweather all the way,” Garcia said. “Robert Guerrero is a good fighter. He earned his shot, but Mayweather is the star.”

Abner Mares of Hawaiian Gardens is moving up in weight to challenge Daniel Ponce De Leon for his featherweight title on the undercard of Mayweather-Guerrero. He, too, is going with Mayweather.

“Floyd Mayweather is such a talented fighter, and he backs it up,” Mares said. “He talks a lot, but he backs it up. I know Robert Guerrero is hungry and determined, but wanting a win doesn’t get you a win. It’s about what you can do inside the ring, and that’s why Mayweather will win.”

It’s no secret that Angel Garcia talks a lot of trash as father and trainer of junior welterweight champion Danny Garcia, who Saturday will defend his two belts against former two-division champion Zab Judah at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (on Showtime).

Let’s just say that Angel Garcia rubs a lot of people the wrong way. The way Judah sees it, he can take care of both of them in a few days.

“It’s called killing two birds with one stone,” Judah said.“Angel Garcia’s a trainer. He’s a father. He’s the older man. I respect my elders.At the same time, I can’t get in the ring and fight Angel Garcia. What do I do? I fight. I knock people out. I can’t do that with Angel. I am going to knock Danny Garcia out and watch Angel come in there and pick him up.”

Judah, a 35-year-old southpaw, is from Brooklyn. The former junior welterweight and welterweight champion is 42-7 with 29 knockouts. Garcia, 25, of Philadelphia, is 25-0 with 16 knockouts.

Categories

Comments policy

We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Although we do not pre-screen comments, we reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions.

If you see comments that you find offensive, please use the “Flag as Inappropriate” feature by hovering over the right side of the post, and pulling down on the arrow that appears. Or, contact our editors by emailing moderator@langnews.com.